Writing focus: Letters

1 First be clear about the perspective you are writing from.

(In this case, you represent either Hal Garnett at Watermark or you represent N-Vision.)

2 Every time you start to write, you need to ask yourself two questions:

a What is the purpose of this piece of writing?

b Who am I writing to?

(Here Ss are writing to summarize the action agreed in their discussion about the e-commerce website to be developed by N-Vision. The purpose is to ensure there has been no misunderstanding and to formalize what each party guarantees to do. The summary letter is written to the other party; however, it may be made public at a later stage, (particularly in the event of a dispute.)

3 Look at the section on Letters on page 201 of the Writing guide. Notice the suggested structure and layout of the letter. Is this appropriate for the letter in this situation?

(The guidance about layout given in the Writing guide is very general and is appropriate for all formal or semi-formal letters. It is also important to decide what should go in the body of the letter and to plan the paragraphs needed. A possible structure for the body of the letter is as follows:

Opening: Reason for writing

Body [part 1]: Summary of the agreement reached including a table listing costs

Body [part 2]: Additional comments on the agreement

Reference to future action [e.g. confirmation by the other company]

Standard closure.)

4 What style should the letter be written in?

(Business letters are usually quite formal in style. A conversational style is not appropriate and contractions should be avoided. It is appropriate to use a number of typical letter phrases, e.g. Dear ..., With reference to our discussion of ..., Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need further information, Yours sincerely. However, the letter should not be over-formal. It needs to be clear, concise and easy to read. As the letter contains a summary of what was agreed, some formal language of reporting is appropriate, e.g. Mr X proposed that..., it was agreed that ... )

5 What linking words and phrases might be appropriate in the letter?

(A range of linking words can be used to connect ideas in the summary of the discussion. The writer is likely to refer back frequently to the conversation, e.g. As we discussed, ...)

6 Now go ahead and plan the letter. Then write the letter.

7 When you have finished, check your writing for: logical structure, clarity of ideas, accuracy of language, appropriateness of style.